Former Wolves star Thomas in bid to raise £2million for Cure Leukaemia
Former Wolves star, Geoff Thomas is getting back on his bike as part of a campaign to raise £2 million for Cure Leukaemia and help fight the disease he overcame.
Thomas, who spent four years at Molineux, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2003 and initially given only three months to live. After treatment from Cure Leukaemia Co-founder, Professor Charlie Craddock, including a bone marrow transplant from his sister, he was told he was in remission in January 2005.
Just six months later, he cycled the Tour de France route two days before the professionals, raising quarter of a million pounds for the blood cancer charity.
And last night Thomas announced his plans to tackle the 21 stages of the course again, 10 years after his first effort and one day ahead of the official 2015 Tour peloton.
Thomas said: "Cycling the Tour de France route in 2005 was an incredibly tough challenge and an experience that will stay with me forever. At that time I had no idea what I would be doing 10 years on, but being in such good health and having returned as Patron of Cure Leukaemia, I want to get more involved and help to raise awareness and funds that I know will make a direct impact on the treatment of people who are in the same position as I was a decade ago."
The former England midfielder will complete the gruelling ride with a select group of 20, getting the full pro-cyclist experience with rolling road closures and a support crew on the Utrecht to Paris course.
Aiming to raise £1 million from the Tour challenge, Thomas hopes the other million can be raised in a four-day, 500km cycling challenge he will be leading.
Members of the sports community and Thomas' friends and supporters have already signed up to participate in the London 2 Paris: Inspiring the Revolution challenge, and entries are now open for others who want to take part.
In 2005, Thomas helped Cure Leukaemia secure a grant for £2.2m to build the Centre for Clinical Haematology at the QE Hospital in Birmingham, and Professor Craddock believes a cure for all blood cancers can be found there within the next 30 years..
Cure Leukaemia pioneers clinical trials at the centre, and £1million raised would be worth £10million in potentially life-saving drug treatments.
Each year 30,000 people are diagnosed with leukaemia in the UK.
For more information on the challenges and how to sign up, visit www.beforethetour.com and www.L2Prevolution.com
